When I visited Lhasa the first time in May 2004 I said to my friend that it would surely take another ten years to finish such a high technical project like the Tibet Railway.
Three years later I was sitting myself in this train from Lhasa to Xining.
Opponents of China's Tibet policies claim that the railway was built to strengthen its political control over Tibet. But fact is the project is a masterwork of a technical construction.
There were and are many technical difficulties for such a railway. About half of the second section was built on barely permanent permafrost. In the summer, the uppermost layer thaws, and the ground becomes muddy. Chinese engineers dealt with this problem by building elevated tracks with foundations sunk deep into the ground, building hollow concrete pipes beneath the tracks to keep the rail bed frozen, and using metal sun shades. Similar to the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System portions of the track are also passively cooled with ammonia based heat exchangers.
Most of the passengers go the way from Beijing to Lhasa which is the absolute wrong decision. Not only that its very difficult to get a booking the main problem is the acclimation to the altitude which cannot done before in Beijing with an elevation of only 43 Meters. If you use this way be sure you'll get massive problems with the altitude sickness due climbing to the rail way pass of 5,072 Meters within 36 hours.
Better to choose the way from Lhasa to Xining or further on to Beijing. You'll have the opportunity to stay in Lhasa in an altitude of 3,700 Meters for some days and get ready for the train ride toward to the world highest train-pass.
Our way from Lhasa to Xining is exact 1,972 km and it takes 23 hours and 50 Minutes. The train started Lhasa punctually and reached Xining punctually on the minute.
Its an amazing ride and you'll see the Tibetan landscape in such a breathtaking way that you'll never get out of your memory. I was asked to post my photos here that you can make your own impression.
When I visited Lhasa the first time in May 2004 I said to my friend that it would surely take another ten years to finish such a high technical project like the Tibet Railway.
Three years later I was sitting myself in this train from Lhasa to Xining.
Opponents of China's Tibet policies claim that the railway was built to strengthen its political control over Tibet. But fact is the project is a mas…
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Nagqu is in the northern of Tibet. The name "Nagqu" comes from the Nagqu River which is the upper reaches of the Nujiang River. In the past, the river was also called "Heihe" (Black River). Today, "Nagqu" is generally referred to as Nagqu Prefecture.
Amdo, written also Ando or An Duo is the last station before the high Tanggula Pass.
The city was and is the home of many important Tibetan Buddhist monks (or lamas), scholars who had a major influence on both politics and religious development of Tibet .
Forty-four railway stations are to be built, among them Tanggula Mountain railway station, at 5,068 m the world's highest (Cóndor station, at 4,786 m, on the Rio Mulatos-Potosí line, Bolivia, and La Galera station at 4,777 m, in Peru, being the next highest). The Qingzang Railway project involved more than 20,000 workers and over 6,000 pieces of industrial equipment, and is considered one of China's major accomplishments of the 21st century.
All during the way we noticed that the Chinese authorities work hard (or better LET work hard) on the infrastructur all over the country. Somewhere on the plateau in Tibet I tried to make a cellphone call and got a roaming.
The Qinghai-Tibet Highway reaches its highest point of 5231 meters here. On August 24, 2005, rail track was laid through the Pass at 5072 meters for the Qingzang railway, also known as the Qinghai–Tibet railway, making the Tanggula Pass home to the highest railway in the world. The 1,080 kilometer section from Lhasa to Golmud was opened on 1st of July 2006. All rail cars have built in personal oxygen supply to avoid altitude sickness.
Every seconds an different amazing view to the mou…
Its the highest part gone with the train on this journey from Lhasa to Xining.
The Kong-la pass on the way to the Namtso Lake we went some days before has the altitude of 5178 m.
The Drolma Pass on the "Holy Kora" around the Kailash mountain we trekked three years before has the altitude of 5645 m.
One time I went by car a pass in Tibet with the altitude of 5,200 m with no problems for us human beings and the car. Just we'd to check the wheel air pressure every 50 meters difference in altitude.
The Yangtze River originates in this mountain range and the Geladandong at 6,621 meters is the tallest peak in the range. A pass through these mountains, Tanggula Mountain Pass, is the highest railway in the world at 4,817 meters above sea level.
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